


Better Together

by justanotherbusyfangirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Hurt Dean Winchester, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 09:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16851142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherbusyfangirl/pseuds/justanotherbusyfangirl
Summary: Dean is severely injured on a hunt after he and Sam argued and Sam is worried about losing him.





	Better Together

Sam ran into the room, eyes filling with tears when they landed on Dean’s still form.  There were tubes attached to multiple places on Dean’s body, filling him with medicine, air, blood…whatever he needed.

Sam ignored the nurse who told him to stay back, rushing to Dean’s side and grabbing his hand.  He didn’t know what to say, couldn’t form his thoughts into words, didn’t even know if Dean would be able to hear anything Sam said could he find the right words.

He shouldn’t have let Dean go on the hunt alone.  Sam knew it was a dangerous hunt, with two wendigos in that forest.  Sam shouldn’t have stormed out of that motel room, angry at his brother, at the way he was ready to just throw his life away without any forethought.  Without thinking of what Dean’s injury or death would do to Sam.  Without thinking of how Sam would survive without his brother, his best friend, his everything.  

Sam shouldn’t have let the last words he said to Dean be, “We have to stop this thing between us.”

Sam was terrified that those words would be the last he would ever say to Dean.  What if Dean didn’t wake up, what if this was the time that he would actually go?

Sam sat down in the uncomfortable hospital chair, pulling it as close to the bed as possible.  He grasped at Dean’s lifeless hand, holding it between his and pulling it to his face.

He mouthed at Dean’s fingers, not really kissing them but keeping them close.  He felt the tears falling to their hands, wetting the skin.

“Dean, you can’t leave me,” he whispered through tears, words catching a bit in his throat.  Just those few words seemed to open the floodgates.

“You’re my everything, Dean. You have to fight, you have to come back to me.  After everything we’ve been through, this can’t be what gets you.

“I’m so sorry for leaving you, I’m so sorry for letting you go on this hunt alone.  We know better, we shouldn’t ever do anything alone.  We are better together.  Always better together.”

Sam swallowed, looking over his shoulder at the open door to make sure they were truly alone in the room before continuing.

“I need you, big brother, I need your words, I need your smile, I need your touch.  I need the warmth in bed at night – you know I don’t sleep well when you’re not next to me.  I can’t do this, I can’t do  _anything,_  without you.”

Sam was quiet for a moment, listening to the beeping of the heart monitor next to Dean’s bed.  His eyes moved to the monitors, watching the little green squiggles jump up and down with the beating of Dean’s heart. He kept Dean’s hand in his, lips tracing the outline of his calloused knuckles as he lost himself in the steady rhythm of the monitor.

Staring into space and thinking of nothing was better than thinking of losing Dean.

All of a sudden, the squiggle jumped funny and a loud beeping noise echoed in the room.  Sam’s eyes widened and he jumped up when Dean started coughing.

A few nurses ran in to the room, shoving Sam out of the way so that they could huddle around Dean’s bed. Sam watched over their shoulders as his brother’s eyes opened, wide and frightened.

Dean was never frightened.

Sam’s heart broke as he watched Dean struggle, but finally one of the nurses got the breathing tube out of his throat.  They sat Dean up, letting him cough away the raw feeling in his esophagus.  When he was done, another nurse handed him a small cup of water, telling him to drink small sips slowly.

Sam fidgeted, wanting to get all of these people out of his way so that he could take care of Dean – Dean was  _his_  to take care of.

But he stayed back, letting them do their jobs, until Dean was propped up against his pillows once more, eyes closed.  One of the nurses patted Sam’s shoulder sympathetically, looking up at him as she spoke.  “He needs to rest, dear.”

He nodded, never taking his eyes from his brother.  Finally they were alone again, but this time Sam knew that Dean was awake, getting better and not dying.  He stood there for a moment, awkward and unsure.  Had Dean heard him?  Does Sam need to repeat his apologies, his please for forgiveness, his need for Dean?

“Sammy…” Dean croaked, eyes still firmly shut.

Sam shot forward, returning to his chair next to Dean’s bed.  “I’m here, Dean.”

One of Dean’s eyes peeked open, looking at his brother for an instant before shutting again.  “Always here, Sammy.”  He slowly moved his hand so that it was palm up, indicating that he wanted Sam’s hand in his.  Sam obliged, returning to his earlier position of Dean’s hand held between his two, right against his lips.  Dean softly caressed his finger across Sam’s bottom lip.

A tear slipped from Sam’s eye, all of the terror of losing his brother leaving him in that one bit of liquid.

“Not leaving you, Sammy,” Dean croaked again, his eyes still closed.  His fingers squeezed slightly on Sam’s hand, and Sam kissed his knuckle in response.  “Better together, always.”

Sam’s heart clenched, knowing that his brother had heard everything he said.  

“Better together,” he agreed, the words whispered against Dean’s skin.

Sam stayed there, watching Dean sleep, until the sun went down and rose again, hoping that he and Dean would be better together, forever.


End file.
